Economic Implications of Climate Change Impacts to Great Lakes Ports, Harbors, and Marinas

Great Lakes ports, harbors, and marinas are vulnerable to a changing climate. To understand the
issue, the NOAA Great Lakes Sea Grant Network has been studying the level of awareness, identifying
specific actions for addressing Great Lakes climate change, and creating a scalable tool or matrix to
help stakeholders understand both the current value and potential threats or liability related to navigation
aids and port infrastructure. This webinar will provide information about:

Results of case study surveys about attitudes and awareness of Great lakes ports

Development of a scalable economic tool to evaluate the economic impacts for climate change scenarios

Results of the tool applications for two Great Lakes ports case studies (Toledo, OH and Duluth/Superior, MN/WI)

How a matrix tool concept might be used to understand similar concerns with Storm Water/Waste
Water systems

* Photo Credit: Chris J Benson

About the Speaker(s)

Dale Bergeron

Dale Bergeron is a Maritime Transportation Specialist and Extension Educator with Minnesota Sea Grant. He has a background
in strategic planning and conflict resolution; sustainable maritime transportation; regional and global trade within the Great Lakes transportation corridor;
and Great Lakes ports and harbors issues. Recently he has focused on climate change and its effects on port infrastructure–particularly underwater structures–and
Lake Superior's water level tipping points that, if reached, would cause significant economic impact..

Gene Clark

Gene Clark is a registered professional engineer in Wisconsin and Minnesota with over 31 years of coastal engineering experience.
He works for the University of Wisconsin’s Sea Grant Institute as its Coastal Engineering Specialist and provides best management practice education and outreach
for climate change, coastal erosion control, shoreline processes, and marina, port and harbor dredging and infrastructure technical assistance. Clark serves on
a number of coastal practice and harbor dredging committees and is the state co-chair of the Great Lakes Dredging Team.

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What Attendees Are Saying

“ Here in Minnesota we're using the webinars to provide current research updates. The information is pertinent
and timely and by using the OSU webinars for content, we can spend time working on other aspects of climate adaptation. – B. Liukkonen,
U of MN Extension

“ This is one of the most useful and accessible resources in the Great Lakes basin. Consider it a cornerstone of a growing
network of climate professionals in this region. ”

“ Thank you, OSU, for providing such a useful tool! Keep’em coming! ”

“ Thanks for these webinars. A great resource. ”

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